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I thought the whole BBC coverage was poor. The commentators/pundits etc, with the exception of Clare Balding were embarrassing, and Scu’s wide-eyed-with-terror performance interviewing the ‘Carmody’ brothers took the biscuit! Very amateurish. I have to say, come back Rishi, all is forgiven….
For the infrequent race viewer I thought the BBC did a grand job. At least it was televised with enthusiasm!
Quote: from Drone on 5:01 pm on April 14, 2007[br]
Quote: from Lingfield on 4:01 pm on April 14, 2007[br]<br>Aussie Jim is probably hamstrung by the Beeb’s daft rule preventing him commentating at racecourses- he doesn’t get enough practice. <br>
He’s actually made a slight return to course commentary recently. Recall him in action at Carlisle and Fakenham this winter.
Never really rated him as a competent race reader and I’m not keen on the Oz twang.<br>
<br>Indeed, and this was a move he initiated himself with Racetech, as he was by his own admission lacking sufficient match practice.
He’s had a number of weekend gigs at the AW tracks, and last autumn also had a run of slots on the Fridays immediately before his BBC commitments 24 hours later. Compared to the 80-odd days the likes of messrs Hoiles and Holt do for Racetech alone, though, is it really enough to keep him sharp?
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Whilst we’re at it, would anyone like to post their thoughts, positive or otherwise, on the 40 years of Graham Goode behind the mic (as commemorated at Worcester yesterday)?
I was surprised to learn he is still only 58, to be honest – looks like there’s quite a few years of gainful employment left in him yet.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Darren Owen – who called from after valentines to the anchor bridge crossing was word perfect and inflects just the right sense of urgency in his commentaries. How a superb micsmith like him gets scraps when the likes of Goode, Cattermole, Thompson etc etc continue to farm the meetings is scandalous.
Seconded, Bear – Darren is very handy indeed and deserving of more. Whether his other commitments, such as race reading for the Racing Post are cause or effect of him not getting a bigger quota, I honestly haven’t a clue.
For those patholigcal stalkers among you, there’s a useful piccie of half of the Racetech roster at Worcester yesterday accompanying the report for that meeting on RP Online;
http://www.racingpost.co.uk/news/master … _id=889665
L-R: Slater, Owen, Fraser, Bartlett (more or less completely obscured by) Goode, Cattermole, Holt, Machin, Hoiles.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I think Jim is suffering from ‘nerves’. He never seems to be relaxed these days and appears distant even when doing interviews. Not the same fellow he was five years ago, but neither am I.
Needs to chill a fair bit and the point about needing to do more commentaries is well made. A bit like a nervous teacher, unsure of his authority in the classroom, at the moment.
The BBC coverage was probably there worst effort yet… Why do they feel the need to draft in Sue Barker and undermine Balding? She’s the best presenter they’ve got in all sports just about nevermind racing and they relegate her on the biggest day of the year.. As for the rest of the coverage, ummmm did we really see any horses in the paddock? Were they aware that there were grade 1 races on the card worth paying some attention to? Ok there were some nice interview pieces but it was sub-standard cr@p otherwise… I was pretty disappointed, although I was nursing a monster hangover so perhaps was feeling more unforgiving than usual…
Jim did miss a lot of fallers and wasn’t really very astute in his remarks either.
Quote: from graysonscolumn on 10:43 am on April 16, 2007[br]Whilst we’re at it, would anyone like to post their thoughts, positive or otherwise, on the 40 years of Graham Goode behind the mic <br>
It would seem this particular GG has become lazy and fallen out of love with the game; his commentaries in recent years just come across as being delivered by one bored with the daily grind of travelling, and racing itself. So concentration not what it should be (or was) leading to errors galore. Going through the motions just ain’t good enough
Quite like the bloke as he seems a genial, avuncular type, and in his pomp quite enjoyed his commentaries too which at times were a match for Peter Bromley enthusiasm-wise.
To be fair to both GG and Jim McGrath the standard of the current crop of race-callers as a whole is pretty damn good, no doubt in part due to all races being televised nowadays which helps keep them on their toes, whereas once it was just a few paying souls at the track who could snigger/moan at their errors while those listening in on Extel hadn’t a clue what was really going on anyway so assumed what they were hearing was gospel. Heady days (not).
Competent, clear, concise words from Stewart Machin at Wetherby today as usual.
Quote: from cormack15 on 3:35 pm on April 16, 2007[br]and what an attractive bunch they are Grays!<br>
<br>"Dial 0800 700663 and talk to race-callers you might like to meet!"
etc
gc<br>
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Quote: from Drone on 8:36 pm on April 16, 2007<br>Competent, clear, concise words from Stewart Machin at Wetherby today as usual.<br>
<br>Absolutely. Quiet, understated class.
gc<br>
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
A word of thanks and appreciation to our own Rory who managed to give me an incredible commentary – full blooded doesn’t really do it justice mate – as I was in Singapore – you could of course just have put the phone next to the TV but for 100% effort and exceptional delivery it was 10 out of 10
If only you could have called Mckelvey the winner – now that would have been the business.
Am I the only one that finds Claire Balding infuriating.<br>We all know she is a well educated Toff, of which she is quiet happy to let everyone know. Her condescending attitude towards her fellow presenters really gets my goat, she feels she has to correct every minor error the other presenters make. <br>Also I cant stand that Dyke haircut she has.
I, also, find her headmistressy attitude infuriating.;)
I have to admit I am speaking from memory, I try not to watch BBC or Channel 4 racing.
Colin
Quote: from seabird on 12:44 pm on April 18, 2007[br]I, also, find her headmistressy attitude infuriating.;)
I have to admit I am speaking from memory, I try not to watch BBC or Channel 4 racing.
Colin
Well at least someone agrees.<br>Have to admit Colin I cant stand the BBC coverage, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for Channel 4, ( Thompson apart of course ), I find the interaction between presenters lighhearted and funny at times.
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